Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lianyungang Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lianyungang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $687 in Lianyungang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,048 in Lianyungang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,409 in Lianyungang.

Living in Phuket is roughly 84% more expensive than in Lianyungang, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Lianyungang 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$3.40 ¥22.95

31.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$11.34 ¥76.6

302.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$4.44 ¥29.96

97.30%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.70 ¥11.49

74.71%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.43 ¥2.92

60.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.31 ¥2.11

25.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$0.73 ¥4.93

246.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.05 ¥13.86

82.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.88 ¥12.71

14.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.01 ¥6.83

80.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.89 ¥6.02

144.94%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.68 ¥11.35

33.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$14.85 ¥100

34.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.06 ¥27.41

-10.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$8.85 ¥59.7

53.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.14 ¥7.71

184.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$0.58 ¥3.92

182.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$0.86 ¥5.78

170.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$0.44 ¥2.96

370.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.73 ¥4.93

112.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.43 ¥2.93

239.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.27 ¥1.81

262.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.41 ¥2.74

17.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.88 ¥26.21

12.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$14.42 ¥97.3

28.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.05 ¥7.06

77.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.55 ¥10.46

70.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.27 ¥1.80

425.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$16.67 ¥113

-30.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.10 ¥7.39

188.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.31 ¥2.12

232.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$7.45 ¥50.3

86.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.14 ¥7.71

17.54%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$19.7K ¥133.3K

40.77%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$13.2K ¥88.9K

153.53%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$123 ฿4,105

$50.9 ¥344

141.56%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.77 ฿459

$10.85 ¥73.2

26.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$8.27 ¥55.8

121.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$41.55 ¥280

46.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$13.81 ¥93.3

24.26%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$4.08 ¥27.53

117.40%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$688 ฿22.9K

$280 ¥1,888

145.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$17.2K ¥116.1K

-8.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$22.24 ¥150

166.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$22.60 ¥153

53.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$58.7 ¥396

96.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$102 ¥688

-17.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$276 ¥1,861

125.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$187 ¥1,263

138.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$601 ¥4,058

238.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$362 ¥2,442

313.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$3,355 ¥22.6K

2.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,727 ¥11.7K

46.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$582 ¥3,930

-15.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.81

39.90%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Lianyungang: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $276 in Lianyungang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lianyungang pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $11.00 in Lianyungang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $192 per month, with Lianyungang cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Phuket vs Lianyungang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lianyungang wins on cost – living expenses run 84% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lianyungang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Lianyungang. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $621 in Phuket versus $276 in Lianyungang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lianyungang runs roughly 44% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $280 in Lianyungang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $687 in Lianyungang versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lianyungang but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Lianyungang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lianyungang delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $687 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lianyungang hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Lianyungang are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lianyungang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.